Noisemaking device



July 29, 1969 A. F. MARDARELLO ET AL NOISEMAKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 19. 1967 FIG.I.

RALPH J BECKER y- 9 I A. F. MARDAREILOQ NOISEMAKING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed D60. 19, 1967 FIG.3.

INVENTOR. ALFRED F- MARDARELLO RALPH 'J-BECKER' M ATRNEYSI FIG 5 UnitedStates Patent 3,457,862 NOISEMAKING DEVICE Alfred F. Mardarello,Hoboken, and Ralph J. Becker, Denville, NJ., assignors to the UnitedStates of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Dec.19, 1967, Ser. No. 691,916

Int. Cl. F42!) 13/32 US. Cl. 102-88 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe invention is designed to make a noise in the flight of a projectileby means of an adapter containing pivotally attached fin members withtransverse blades. The adapter is fitted onto the projectile. When thelatter is fired, the fin members move outwardly by centrifugal force,the blades thereon creating a whistling and screaming noise intended tofrighten the enemy.

The invention relates to a projectile that is adapted to producefrightening noises while in flight, whereby such alien sounds will havea terrifying effect on people nearby.

The psychological effects of weird or unexpected noises, which accompanyan artillery projectile or missile, have been explored in many ways,prior to this invention, with minimum results. The Germans, in World WarH, attached a noise producing device to aerial bombs, somewhat similarin construction to the organ pipe. A high pitched noise was created.This could be used only on large bombs and was too massive for use onartillery projectiles. Patent No. 2,352,260 makes noises by use of airpassages drilled through the projectile. This required modification ofexisting munitions and reduced drastically the effectiveness of themissile. Patent No. 2,247,111 utilizes a turbine to produce accousticalsound waves. The objections to this device are similar to thoseenumerated above.

The insutficiencies of the prior art are overcome by the noisemakingadapter of the instant invention. The adapter ring is so designed thatthey attach to an existant missile without requiring modification ofsaid missile. Centrifugal force, as a result of the spinning motion ofthe missile after being fired, causes the noisemaking arms or fins toextend and to produce weird, alien sounds of such magnitude as to beheard over a substantial area. The psychological eflect, to create panicto those in the vicinity, is thus efiected.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a projectile which iscapable of producing alien noises of great magnitude, whereby auditorsin the vicinity are demoralized and panicked.

Another object is to provide a device which may be utilized withconventional artillery so that modifications of existant munitions isavoided.

Still another object is to provide a noisemaking device which iseffective but does not disturb the flight of the projectile, nor does itreduce to any appreciable extent the range of such projectile.

Yet another object is to provide a device which carries out its functionwithout in any manner decreasing or negating the primary mission of theprojectile, such as anti-personnel or anti-material, etc.

And it is yet another object to take advantage of the movement of airover and around the spinning blade surface of the device to produce highpitched sound waves which can be heard along projectile trajectory untilimpact on the target.

These and other objects will become apparent as the invention isdescribed, reference being had to the accom "ice panying drawings inwhich like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the noisemaker adapter in position onan artillery projectile;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the noisemaker of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational View of the adapter attached to a fuze throughits base;

'FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the felt disc in relationto its seat in the body of the projectile, and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the projectile with the noisemakeradapter extended, exactly as if it were in flight.

Referring to the figures, and especially to FIGURES l, 2, and 3, theprojectile 10 comprises a shell casing 12 and a fuze assembly 14. Thenoise-producing assembly 16 is positioned on the fuze assembly 14 and isbest shown in FIG. 2.

The ammunition noisemaker 16 is a device which produces, during flightof the projectile 10, a constant, highpitched sound for thepsychological eifect upon the enemy. It consists of an adapter elementor ring 18 which is internally threaded at 20 in order to be retainedupon the fuze assembly member 14. Extending from opposite ends on theadapter ring 18 are the U-shaped lug members 22, designed to retaintherebetween, in pivoted arrangement, the noisemaking fin member 24 andthe transversely attached blade 26. The pivot ring or pin 28 extendsthrough suitable apertures 30 in each lug member 22, as well as on thefin member 24, whereby said fin member is pivotally securedtherebetween. An enlarged reinforcing section 32 is provided on the finmember 24 in position between the lug members 22 so that they arereinforced in strength and are frictionally held in one of two adjustedpositions, as will presently appear. The ringed portion 18 is threadedupon the similarly threaded section 34 of the fuze assembly 14, as isshown in FIG. 3. The upper end of the adapter ring 18 abuts the bottomof the cone shaped section 36 of the fuze assembly and is securely heldthereon. The fuze assembly 14 is then seated in the shell casing 12, inthe manner diagrammatically depicted in FIGS. 1 and 5. A washer 38, asis illustrated in FIG. 4 is positioned between the fuze assembly and theshell casing. The function of this washer is two-fold. It compensatesfor the space taken by the width of the adapter ring 18 and also is asafety factor in that it prevents the fuze booster from slapping backagainst the charge in the shell casing and thereby causing prematuredetonation.

The particular construction of the noisemaking assembly 16 is veryimportant. It should be noted that the fin member 24 includes a taperingedge extending at its highest point from a position adjacent the pivotpoint to the outer extremity thereof. Along the straight edge of the finmember 24, the blade means 26 is secured at a position transverse to theplane of the fin member. This arrangement is critical, since thisspecific construction enables the projectile to create the frighteningand weird noises intended to afiect the morale of the opposing troops ina new and unique manner. The tapered edge of the blade of the fin member24 is so constructed that when the adapter is in position on theprojectile, prior to being fired, it may be positioned against the outerdiameter of the projectle and will not extend beyond the greatestdiameter thereof. It is held in this position by the frictionalengagement of the pivoted end of the fin member 24 against the U-shapedlug or yoke member 22. When the projectile is fired, spin causes the finmember 24 with its blade 26 to move outwardly after the projectileleaves the muzzle of the weapon. Movement of air over and around thefast spinning blade surfaces produces a high-pitched sound wave whichcan be heard along projectile trajectory until impact on a target. Thesesounds are unexpected and weird, and are effective in frighteningopposing troops or civilian population. It should be noted that thenoisernaker assembly 16 extends a distance beyond the outermost diameterof the projectile 10. This is desirable because the greatest noisemaking effect is obtained thereby. While it has been found that ashorter length of structure will still produce a noise effect, itappears that the extension of a fin and blade member beyond the diameterof the shell provides the most optimum results. The centrifugal forceoccasioned by the spinning motion of the shell causes the noisemakingassembly to pivot and extend outwardly until at substantially 90 to itsoriginal position. This, is the optimum position, but on some occasions,where air turbulance interferes with the noise assembly elements so thatthey do not open fully, the desired result is still obtained in asatisfactory manner.

A number of tests were made for both the device of the invention and acontrol group and the table below indicates the excellent resultsachieved by the structure.

TABLE Projectile Design velocity Noisemaker No. (f.p.s.) Results Finmember and blade. 1 2-54 1, 504

Produced noise.

1, 497 Extreme yaw, fell short.

1, 505 Fell short.

1 Four L-shaped [in members, spaced 90 apart.

2 Three L-shaped fin members, spaced 120 apart.

3 Two L-shaped fin members, spaced 180 apart.

4 Four fiat fin members, spaced 90 apart.

5 Three fiat fin members, spaced 120 apart.

*A portion of the blade end broke off, but this still produced noise.

The firing tests of the noisemaker of the invention were substantiallywithout failure. The control fin members, not being provided with theblade members, produced no noise when fired.

In assembling the noisemaker structure 16, the fin members 24 aredepressed downwardly and towards each other until the backs of the blademembers 26 touch the bottom of the ring. The fin members 24 arefrictionally held in position by the close tolerance between thereinforcing section 32 and with the lug member 22. The adapter ring 18is then threaded upon the section 34 of the fuze assembly 14 until itachieves the position illustrated in FIG. 3. The felt disc or washer 38is then placed over the fuze well in the projectile 12, as illustratedin FIG. 4. The disc should be pressed downwardly until it rests flatagainst the bottom of the well (not shown). The fuze assembly 14 is thenattached to the projectile in conventional manner, until tightly seated.The projectile is then inserted into the Weapon, which may be the 105mm. howitzer, or other similar weapons, in a conventional manner. Whenthe gun is fired, the projectile leaves the gun chamber and is spinningin order to stabilize it in flight. The centrifugal force of thespinning action now causes the noisemaker .4 assembly 16 to moveoutwardly to substantially the position shown in FIG. 5. Continued spinof the projectile retains the position shown until the point of impact.During the period of travel in this extended position and by spinningrapidly, the frightening and weird noises so effective in thedemoralizing of enemy forces, is produced. As the fourth entry on thetable on page 6 indicates, the blade member of the adapter may break offat its extremity when the structure is not depressed against the sidesof the projectile in the manner illustrated schematically in FIG. 1.While the effects produced are not as great as that when no breakoccurs, as long as the major portions of the structure is stillretained, satisfactory results are obtained.

The materials used in the invention, are not critical, and may be of anyrigid structure, such as fabricated steel, etc. By the construction ofthe invention, substantially no modification to existing shells or othermissiles is required and may be used in a great variety of weapons.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible, in the light of the above teaching. For example, should itbe desired to alert our troops to the start of bombing of the enemy,initially fired noise-producing projectiles would signal a warning. Itis therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as is specificallydescribed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an artillery shell having an ogive and a body, the improvementthereof of a device for use in the generation of audible waves causing apsychological response in the form of terror in enemy infantrymen overwhom said shell travels in flight, consisting of a support memberadapted for mounting on said shell intermediate said ogive and saidbody,

a plurality of movable fin-like arms pivotally mounted on said supportmembers,

each of said arms in the shape of a triangular body having a base, and

a rectangular flange-like blade transversely secured along thelongitudinal length of said base,

whereby, said arms move from a position adjacent said shell body to aposition transverse the longitudinal axis of said shell when said shellis in flight.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal length of saidrectangular flange-like blade is coextensive with the longitudinallength of said triangular fin-like arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,586 7/1916 Waring 102-62 X1,166,879 1/1916 Alard 10262 X 1,201,763 10/1916 Rimailho 2443.28 X1,327,545 1/1920 Garnier 102-88 X ROBERT F. STAHL, Primary Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

